Electric immersion-heater.



H. A. NEWCOMB.

ELECTRIC IMMERSION HEATER. APPLICATION msn APR.6, 1915.

Patented ov. 2, 1915.

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KBOLD .A. NEWCOMB, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A\CORPORATION 0F PENN- sYLv'ANIA.

ELECTRIC IMMERSION-HEATER.

To' all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD A. Nnvvcoii, acitizen of the VUnited States, and a resident 0f Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric vImmersion-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to `electric Vheating devices adapted to be immersed in liquids, and it has for its object to provide an electric immersion heater equipped with automatic means for insuring that current will be supplied to the device only during its immersion and will be interrupted as soon as 'the device is Withdrawn from, the liquid.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is .a longitudinal central sectional vievv of an electric immersion heater of the bomb type constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form ofxsvvitching device, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig.l 2, showing another modified formA of switching device.

Electric heating devices that are adapted for immersion in liquids are necessarily designed to carry much heavier currents than are required in devices that are to be used inthe air, and it often happens `that the current which immersion heaters carry is sutlicient to burn out the lheating coils when the heaters are removed from liquids without interrupting the current.

j ample, 4in a glass bulb which is evacuated f or filled with hydrogen. This casing or bulb is inclosed in a cage or outer casing of metal,

which should be of 'sufiicient Weight to make the entire apparatus heavier than the liquid.

I also provide coperating contact members at the top of the bulb and at t-lie top of the cage, the arrangement of the parts being such that, when the assembled device is -plunged into water or other liquid, the inner bulb, or' casing will be buoyed up until its contact members engagethe contact members consuming element within the bulb.-

that aresecurdito the outer case, thus permitting ci rrent to iovv through the curreit- Specification of Letters latent.

Application led April 6, 1915. Serial No. 19,446.

soon as the device is removed from the liquid, .the inner bulb or casing will fall by gravity to the bottom of the cage, thus immediately interrupting the current.

Referring now to the accompanying diaiving,a glass bulb 1 is shown inclosed Within a. cage formed of metal rods 2 that are held together by means of top and bottom metallic casing-members 3 and 4. The

bulb 1 is provided with an elongated neck 5 that is inclosed Within a tube 6, which Amay conveniently be made of brass or other suitable material, and which is enlarged, at its lovver end, as shown at 7, the enlarged end being riveted at 8 to the top portion 3 of the cage. A current-consuming device, here shovvn asV an incandescent iilament 9, is inclosed within the glass bulb 1 and is attached to leading-in Wires 10 and 11 which extend through the elongated neck 5 of the bulb 1. The neck 5 may conveniently be made-tubular and filled with an insulating material after the leading-in wires have been introduced. -The leading-in vvire 10, as shown, is connected to a iexible conducting cord 12 that leads to an external source of energy, While the leading-in Wire 11 is electrically connected to a lug 13 of conducting material, which is secured to the upper end of the neck 5 and is `pivotally connected to a lever 14 of conducting material. The lever 14 is pivoted at 15 to a support 16 mounted on, and electrically insulated from, a handle casing 17, one end of which is attached to the upper end of the tube'6. The position of the member 16 in the handle 17 is preferably so selected that the longer arm ,of the lever 14 is attached to the lug 13, While the shorter arm of the lever 14 swings freely and is adapted to engage a contact member 18, which is secured Within, and insulated from, the handle casing 17 and is electrically connected to a flexible conducting cord 19, similar to the cord 12, through which the circuit may be completed to the external source of energy.

The bulb 1 is resiliently supported Within its inclosing cage by means of springs 2O and 21, the spring 20 being received in a recessed member 22 securedto thehcasing member 4 and being adapted to receive the tip 23 of the bulb 1. The spring 21 surrounds the neck 5 Within the enlarged portion 7 of the tube 6, and the strength of the spring 21 should be so selected that it Will yield to the buoyant effect of the liquid into which the device may be immersed and permit the A bulb to rise suiliciently'torockthe lever 14 about its pivot and bring the swinging end of the member 14 into engagement with the contact member 18, thus completing the electric circuit. The spring 21 should, however, be strong enough to sustain thev weight or the bulb 1 if the device should be invertminal plate 25 is engaged by a contact member 27 secured to the upper end ofthe neck 5, which may be much shorter than in the modification shown in Fig. 1. lThe contact member 27 is electrically connected to the leading-in wire 10, and the leading-in wire 11 is ,electrically connected to one arm 28 of a two-armed. lever, the other arm 29 of which is adapted to engage the contact terminal plate 26. The two-armed lever'284-29 j is ivoted at 30 tothe enlargement 7 of the tu e 6. In the operation of this form of my device, the bulb 1, when `buoyed up 'by immersion in a liquid, causes the upper surface of the neck 5 to engage the rela-A tivelyflong arm 28 of the two-armed lever, thereby rocking the lever about itspivot and plate 26, thus completing the circuit.' The parts are restored to the positions shown in Fig. 2 when the device is'removed from the liquid.

Fig. 3 shows a third modification ofthe'` current-interrupting device in which. the conductors carried by the vflexible cords12 and 19 are rigidly secured to terminal blocks 31 and 32 that are mounted upon, and..

insulated from, the inner walls of the tube 6. The leading-in wires 10 and 11 are electrically connected to contact members 33 and 31 attached to the-upper surface .of the neck 5 that is associated'with the bulb 1 It Will.y be evident that' the upward. movement of.

` the bulb 1, when immersed ina liquid, will gage cause the contact members 33 and 34 to enthe terminal blocks31 and'32, respectively, 'and that this contact will -be broken as soon as the device is removed from the4 liquid..

. My invention may be advantageouslyiapplied to liquid sterilizers, for .which use 'the buoyant bulb 1' should be made of a glass lthat is readily permeable by ultra-violet l rays, while the conducting coil 9 shouldbe composed of material that gives a light is rich in such rays.

Numerous modifications may -be effected' .when the apparatus 1s removed liquid. causing the arm 29 to engage thetermrfual in the structures which I have shown and described withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope' of my invention, and it is therefore' to be understood that my invention comprehends all 'such modifications and adaptations as lfall within the scope of the appended claims'.

I claim as my. invention:

1. An' electric immersion apparatus comprising a current-consuming device, means -or supplymg current to the. said device when the device is immersed in a vliquid and for interrupting the current when the dej vice is removed from the liquid, and means for maintamlng the circuit 1n open condiuid.

2. An electricv immersion apparatus colnf prising a current-consuming device, a cn'- cuit for supplying current' to the said device, and means for closing the said circuitwhen the device is immersed in a liquid andtion when the device is not immersed in hqfor opening the said circuit when the device is removed from the liquid. i

3. An electrlc immersion a paratus compnsmg a current-consuming evice mcl in a buoyant container, a casing for the said 'I container that is sulliciently heavy to cause 4. An' electric immersion apparatus comprising a currentconsum1ng device inclosed in a buoyant container, a casing for the said container that is sufliciently' heavy to cause the entire apparatus to sink when immersed iii a liquid, coperating contact members secured respectively to the said buoyant container and to thesaid casing, and means for supplying current tothe said contact mem-- bers.

-5. A11-electric immersion apparatus'comprising a current-consumingdevice inclosed vin a buoyant container, a casing for the said `1 container that is sufficiently heavy to cause the entire apparatus to sink when imme in a liquid, a hollow handle secured to the said casing, a fixed contact'member secured withinfthe said handle, a movable contact member pivotally lmounted withinthe said handle,- and means for movingthe'said pivoted contact member '-in unison with the movements ofthe said buoyant container" within the said casing, whereby the said con. tact members are brought into engagement .when 'the apparatus is immersed in a liquid and disengaged when the .apparatusis removed from the liquid. I

.6. An. electric sterilizer'comp'rising Aa current-consuming"I device Ycapable of emitting ultra-violet rays, a buoyant f container for the said current-consuming device, the said container being composed of a material that is readily permeable by ultra-violet rays,

and means for supplying current to the'said 5 current-consuming device When the sterilizer' is immersedin a liquid and for inter.-

rupting the supply of current when the ap'- paratus is removed from the liquid.

7. An electric immersion apparatus com- 10 `prising a vcurrent;-consuming device adapted to be immersed in a liquid, a'circuit for supplying current to the said device, and means Vfor automatically closing the said circuit when the device is immersed in a liquid.

In vtestimony whereof, I. have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of March, 1915.

HAROLD A. NEWCOMB. A 

